The present invention relates to the field of fitted bed coverings, in particular, to a fitted sheet or fitted mattress pad for covering a mattress. The fitted bed covering is secured by panels of an elastic fabric or other elastic sheet of material, attached to the underside of the fitted bed covering to form pockets, which fit over opposite ends of a mattress.
Typically, the top portion of a fitted sheet is woven from an inelastic fiber or yarn, such as cotton, polyester or a cotton/polyester blend. The corners of the sheet are cut, and the sides and ends of the sheet are sewn at each corner to conform to the box shape of a bed mattress. The sides and ends create a band around the fitted sheet and may be referred to as a “skirt.” An elastic cord or band is sewn into the outer edge of the skirt, to hold the sheet in place.
It has been suggested to employ an elastic fabric or yarns in the skirt of the fitted sheet. For example, fitted sheets having a skirt constructed of elastic fabric or yarns are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,942,280; 4,962,546; 5,056,441; 5,127,115; and 5,603,132.
Fitted sheets having a skirt constructed with sections of elastic fabric and inelastic fabric may be found in the following United States patents and applications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,672,702; 4,980,941; 5,029,353; 5,287,574; 6,618,880 B1; 6,842,921 B1; US 2004/0068794 A1; and US 2005;0193490 A1.
Elastic fabric has been employed in securing mattress pads, bedspreads and blankets, to a mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,640 discloses a gel-filled mattress pad having a pocket at one end, to prevent the pad from slipping when the mattress is in a raised position. The pocket is formed by a bottom wall, back wall and two side walls, which are sewn together and attached to the mattress pad. The aforementioned bottom, back and side walls components may be made of elastic fabric. U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,666 discloses a bedspread held in place by elastic bands. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,588, a blanket is held in place by a band encircling the sides of a mattress, wherein the band contains an elastic panel.
There are a number of shortcomings with the prior art fitted bed coverings. For most of the constructions, several pieces of fabric must be cut and sewn together, which increases manufacturing complexity, and thus increases costs. For many of the designs, pieces of the sheet are cut-out, to avoid overlap when the sides and ends are folded and sewn together. The cut-out pieces become scrap. Further, when elastic is used in the skirt of a fitted sheet or mattress pad, substantial force may be required to stretch the fitted sheet over the sides of a mattress. Individuals with back problems or those that change bedding for a living, such as maids and hospital orderlies, may experience back injury from “wrestling” such sheets into place. Additionally, since most fitted sheet designs have a skirt that protrudes perpendicularly from the body of the sheet, it is difficult to fold the fitted sheets compactly, for shipping and storage.